Commercial fishing is not your average job for a woman. I began fishing when I was 26 years old. The year was 1989. As college was not for me at the time. My good friend and fellow soccer teammate met me at a bar in Seattle’s Capital Hill with a new little Ford truck. I was happy for her but also a little envious as I was driving a yellow used Volkswagon Dasher, which is what I could afford. I asked her, “Kath, how did you buy that truck?”
“Coll,” she said, (my deemed nickname from her), “I am commercial fishing. You have to get a job and work on the boat with me!”
Well, that’s all it took. I was workinga 9-5 job as a word processor in downtown Seattle and feeling a little bored with the routine. This job doesn’t exist any longer but when computers came to the workplace scene, it was my job to do the typing. Funny, right?
So, I applied and because Kathy was my reference, I was in. In the fishing industry, it is often who you know that helps with getting employed. I remember packing my sea bag and my parents dropped me off at the boat dock, a little worried for me about this adventure I was undertaking. The fishing trawler industry was just in its beginning stages so most people had no idea what it was about, myself included! I felt like a kid leaving for my first day at school. I was full of excitement and anticipation, having no idea what to expect.
It was a thrill, it was hard but it was such an adventure. I am still in this industry but have grown up and thank goodness, survived!
A lot of that survival came from the companionship of my fellow woman coworkers. There are a few of us who have bonded through our hard work, the mental challenges of long, grueling days, even months, especially in the beginning of our careers. I work as Chief Steward, (in charge of the kitchen and housekeeping), and some of the gals I worked with who became good friends helped to create this recipe. It morphed into the bread we like to call SOS bread. It’s easy, nutrient dense, and is impressive so it makes you feel good to look at it and to eat it! One of these ladies, a fellow Chief Steward and friend, Sindi, coined the term Sisters of the Sea and it has stuck with me.
Counting the number of day/nights I have lived inside a ship I estimate it to be approximately 20+ years. That is a LOT of my life. Was it worth it? Yes!
Thank you, sisters of the sea, for helping me survive this industry, for helping make my days manageable, fun, and memorable. Those memories I hold close to my heart. I love you all!
Sisters of the Sea Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 packet of yeast
- 1 TBLS of cinnamon
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 ¼ c. warm water between 100 degrees and 110 (no hotter or your yeast will be killed)
- 2 c. whole pecans or walnuts or combination
- 2 c. craisins or raisins
- 1 c. dried apricot
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and blend.
Add the water and blend until all the dry ingredients are wet. Add the nuts and dried fruit. Incorporate well so they get mixed into the middle of the dough. I add a generous amount of dried fruit, but you can add what you like. That’s the beauty of cooking and baking!
Cover and let rise to double quantity (approx. 1-2 hours)
After the dough has risen, I spray the bread pan with oil. If you don’t have spray, grease well. I sprinkle the bread with flour (I prefer white here) and I use my hand to draw decorative lines. I enjoy the free form bread the best but occasionally I put it into a loaf pan. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and bake.
Bake until the bottom sounds hollow when you knock it or approximately 25-30 minutes. It will depend on the size of your loaves. The standard loaf takes a bit longer (additional 10 or thereabouts). After it is taken out of the oven, let it cool completely before slicing as it is still cooking inside and you may be disappointed if you slice into it.
Bake 25 – 30 minutes at 325 degrees for a round loaf.
